Nevermind I'll find someone like you
by xipeek
Summary: 10 years after graduation. Faberry. Quinn thinks maybe it's time to face her feelings after seeing Rachel on tv.
1. Chapter 1 : 10 years after graduation

**Title**: Nevermind I'll find someone like you (inspired by Adele obviously)

**A/N** :Set 10 years after graduation, Quinn thinks maybe it's time to face her feelings. Not beta'ed, mistakes are mine. Enjoy!

Part 1 : 10 years after graduation.

Rachel was on Broadway and there was nothing surprising in this. She made her way out of Lima just like Quinn thought she would. She sang her way to the top like Quinn knew only she could.

She saw her on the news, ten years older and still shinning like the star sticker she used to put on audition sheets. Quinn smiled at the memory but the smile quickly disappeared and she thought bitterly about her former self being so foreshadowing. She was still in Lima, she was a successful real estate agent; and the only breach in her prediction was that she wasn't married to Finn. She wasn't married at all, actually. She wasn't unhappy, she liked her job and she still saw Brittany and Santana everytime they came to visit their parents. But she always had this feeling of being stuck, like the prediction she made in high school bounded her to this future without allowing her to actually decide otherwise. She just let it happen. She let it happen when they lost nationals, when she quit Glee club, when she shut down the most honest offer of friendship she got from Rachel after she and Finn broke up, again and for good. She let it all slip away when she sent her application letter to the real estate agency of Lima.

So she wrote instead. She wrote stories of her life, of herself travelling the world, being the best reporter America ever had, being the successful seductive girl she wish she was. She lived through it and let her life slip away. It hit her in the face when she saw Rachel's video of a live concert where she was singing Get It Right. She was beautiful and her voice still made her shiver like she was singing in front of her.

"It's time to make a little change here Fabray" she said to herself.

The glance she took at the mirror confirmed her she definitely had to do something. She was still pretty, but she was still a lot more than that. She grabbed a pen and did what she did best, she wrote. A letter this time.

_Dear Rachel,_

A white page didn't usually freak her out but this time was different. This time it had to mean something to someone she knew and, if she was honest to herself, someone she cared about. A lot. Someone she pushed away 10 years ago, and barely spoke to on Senior year. Someone who made her heart beat faster everytime she sang a song.

_I have just seen your perform Get It Right on tv, and it brought back a lot of stuff I probably should have told you earlier. About time, I know. I guess I never realized how much I missed before I actually decided to open my eyes. First I think I owe you an apology for turning down your friendship offer in high school. You were honest with me, and most of all you were genuinely concerned when no one seemed to care and I guess it didn't take more than that to scare me away. I would also apologize for the slap I gave you at the prom but you said you kind of enjoyed the drama of it if I remember correctly so I'll let it at that. Then I'd like to say- because I'm not even sure I actually told you once in high school -that your voice seems surreal coming out of a tiny woman like you. I wish you all the best, _

_Quinn Fabray_

She wrote it multiple times with slight changes, a word here, a coma there, but in the end she always found it so lame she almost ripped it in half. She didn't though, because she wanted things to change, and if she had to be seen like a Lima-loser by one of the rising star of Broadway in order to get there, then be it. She sent it first thing in the morning on her way to work the day after and tried to keep her mind busy the whole day to avoid being tortured by her doubting mind.

On Friday, as usual, she parked her car in the alley of her little house, she greeted her dog : a Labrador answering to the name Atticus and she got her mail. She went through it and stopped on her doorstep when she saw a letter with a golden star on the top right corner. Rachel's writing was still the same, reflecting her enthusiasm in everything she did. So the address she found on a fan's website was correct. Some people could be really creepy but in this case, it was in her favor.

She waited a little to open it, and found herself pathetic because this was the first thing exciting that happened to her in quite some time. Then again, it made her realize that when you want things to happen, you have to give them a push.

The letter was disappointing by its length and confusing by its content.

_Dear Quinn,_

_It wasn't just a friendship offer._

_Rachel Barbra Berry_

In the envelope she also found two tickets to a show in a little café-théâtre in Paris. It was in two weeks.

She could totally find Rachel in the joined tickets, her way of saying that if she thought she was a great singer then maybe she could come see her sing. Maybe she could have done it earlier, too. But the friendship statement? Short, cold. Rachel usually used a lot of words to express herself but no explanation was given here.

She let the letter on the counter of the kitchen and went on the computer to check her emails just like she did everyday. Change was good, but it was also confusing. Since she didn't know what to think of it yet, she decided that she'd better not to think about it at all. When the logo of American Airlines appeared on her screen she decided maybe it was time to stop pretending. She checked the prices but already knew it didn't matter really. She had money, she had worked enough in the past 10 years to be allowed to take 3 months of vacation with her boss's blessing and most of all she wanted to see Rachel. She booked her tickets and 6 nights in a nice hotel in Paris. She might as well enjoy her time there.


	2. Chapter 2 : Olivia

**Title** : Nevermind I'll find someone like you (inspired by Adele)

**rating** : K for now

**A/N** : enjoy =) feedback very welcome

Part 2 : Olivia

On Saturdays, Quinn usually took care of her little garden and wrote. She was currently working on an adventurous book featuring a photojournalist reporter – female of course- and some international problems. She sighed and thought that if she had been willing to change earlier maybe she wouldn't be writing about a fictional character, maybe she would be her. Writing helped her get away from her monotonous life but sometimes it was just too frustrating to write her dreams so she decided she'd better go for a run before the threatening grey clouds released the rain. She took Atticus with her and ran about an hour, finally feeling good about herself. She still had a nice body eventhough she didn't do as much sport as she used to. Keeping up the rhythm of coach Sylvester after her 20th birthday would have been kind of masochism to her anyway. When she came back home and showered, she briefly wondered if it was worth it to dress up again or if she should just slip into her pajamas right away. It was Saturday evening and she didn't have anything to do or anyone to meet. Not that she never went out, she did. She met boys and girls and things worked out sometimes, sometimes they didn't.

She had figured out that maybe boys were not her only option when she was on her second year at the agency. Her boss had just hired a new employee, a really beautiful one. At first Quinn just thought that being a woman didn't prevent her to find other women beautiful…attractive even. But then on the night she went out with Olivia to have a drink, when the brunette had rubbed her feet against Quinn's under the table and that it made her feel all weird in her stomach, she wondered if maybe it wasn't more than that. They had slept together that night because, despite her ease to get into a rut, deep down Quinn was still someone adventurous and anyway, she couldn't figure out how to stop kissing the girl at the time. Obviously things hadn't worked out, but Olivia was still her friend and she liked her company a lot when she wasn't trying to hook her up with any guy or girl she met.

But tonight she was staying home.

When she passed by the kitchen counter she picked up the tickets yet again to make sure, for the fourth time today, that Rachel Berry did invite her to what seemed like a private concert in a small café-théâtre in Paris. Its name was _La Bonne Etoile_ and according to Quinn's researches, it was a famous place for rising singers who came from everywhere in the world to gain some international popularity. The young woman remembered that something had bothered her when she had read that but couldn't put her finger on it. She went on the computer to go through the description of the place again and before she could make it to the end of the page, she got up and ran towards her room. A dress! She had to have a classy dress to go to a nice place like this and to make a good impression on Rachel. Wait what?

"Hello?"

"Olivia? It's me, Quinn"

"Oh! Hi babe, what's up?"

"I have a wardrobe emergency"

"Now that's interesting…Have you finally found the extraordinary and imaginary person who matches all your expectations?" Olivia asked, amused.

"Very funny, I need a classy dress…"

"That says "hey look I'm a successful young woman but I'm not a slut"?" Olivia finished her sentenced.

Quinn stayed silent a moment before answering :"Uh yes that's about it"

"Alright I'll see what I have and.."

This time Quinn was the one interrupting : "Olivia? Hm..it could also say like, you know, I'm sexy or something like that"

Quinn heard her friend begin to laugh and hung up before she could hear anything more. Her phone buzzed 30 seconds after. It was Olivia, of course.

"Got your back babe"

The convenient thing with Olivia was that, not only had she a wonderful taste of fashion but she also was around the same height and weight than Quinn. She had become her second wardrobe for a lot of "I feel like dressing like someone else" evenings. And she had to admit it, her friend's clothes usually helped her feeling sexy as hell and resulted in her scoring with gorgeous people more than once.

"Oh my god are you insane!" that wasn't a question Quinn was asking.

Olivia looked at her from head to toes and from toes to head before locking confused green eyes with Quinn's.

"What now?"

Quinn had put both her hands on her hips and looked at the mirror again to make sure the first time was not an hallucination. Her reflection was wearing a tight red dress and had certainly a mean frown on her face.

"I said classy and sexy and you said not a slut and this screams "Hey I want to fuck!"

"Seriously Q? I love this one!"

"How many times did you come home alone wearing it?"

Quinn asked with a grin. The grin turned into a full smile when Olivia didn't answer and just shrugged the question off.

"Well at least it works…I don't know who you want to impress but you have proof that this one would do it!" she finally said.

Quinn considered the argument but a third look at herself convinced her otherwise.

"It's gonna take more than a dress trust me…" she said in a low voice so that her friend couldn't hear.

Since Olivia had cancelled her plans to help her (after telling her that the guy wasn't worth it anyway so that Quinn wouldn't feel too bad about it), they decided that they could use some sushi and movies. Quinn finally accepted to take her friend's dress but also thought that she was going to Paris after all and that there surely were plenty of places where she could find a nice classy dress.


	3. Chapter 3 : Bacon & eggs

**Title** : Nevermind I'll find someone like you

**A/N** : Tell me what you think of it =)

**Part 3** : Bacon & Eggs

Sunday morning was harsh because Olivia never brought a dress to Quinn's house without at least one bottle of wine and this time since it was an emergency she brought two. And also because they couldn't watch _Imagine me & You_ without mojitos. It was their little tradition since the first time Quinn had invited her friend over and Olivia had brought the dvd because "oh my god Q. how can you NOT have seen it!"

They woke up in the same bed like they usually did after evenings like these and Quinn took a minute to appreciate the fact that despite her empty love life and regrets, she still had a friend she could drink with, laugh with and sleep in the same bed without anything being awkward. After one or two other tries together when alcohol made them think "we're both hot and we both like girls, why the hell not?" that ended up in not-so-good sex and apologetic looks in the morning they had decided that they were better at friends than sex buddies.

"Morning sunshine" Olivia greeted with sleepy eyes.

"Hey. Wanna eat something?" Quinn asked, motioning to get out of bed. Olivia caught her arm before she could move any further.

"I'll take care of it, you offered me the most delicious sushi of my life yesterday so I gotta make up for it.." Olivia explained

"These were the same we've been ordering for what? 6 years now?" Quinn smiled at her friend's love for Japanese food.

"They're getting better I swear. Eggs and bacon?

Quinn nodded enthusiastically and fell back on the bed while her friend headed to the kitchen. She was ready to fall back asleep when she heard Olivia's amused voice:

"Oh so I understand now!"

Quinn sat up yet again, confused, when Olivia appeared on the doorstep holding 2 familiar tickets in her hand. She waved them in front of Quinn's face with a mischievous smile.

"La Bonne Etoile uh? That's what the classy dress is for? And a star shaped stamp? Really?"

Quinn tried to get her tickets back but she was still sleepy and Olivia was moving all around the room with excitement.

"You have 2 tickets! Sooo..who are you bringing with you?"

Quinn gave up on her already lost fight and pondered on her answer. She actually hadn't even considered taking her best friend to Paris. Rachel was from another world, another Quinn and the idea of mixing these up didn't look very appealing to her. Plus Olivia didn't really know about Rachel. She knew who she was, sure, she knew that she was a singer and that she was on the Glee club with Quinn. She didn't know that she was bullied by Quinn herself in high school though. Or that Quinn felt closer to her than any of her friends though she hadn't really figured out why. And mostly Olivia didn't know that Rachel felt like someone special to Quinn, someone she shouldn't have given up on. She couldn't explain all of this, could she?

"If you don't tell me that it's me in the next 10 seconds I'm never making you bacon again. Never ever."

Olivia's threat took the blonde out of her thoughts. She really should have thought about Olivia. Rachel had been polite by sending her two tickets in case she was with someone, but she might as well enjoy a little trip to Paris with her best friend. Actually now that she thought about it, it would have been ridiculous to miss such an occasion. She smiled and just said :

"Pack up baby, we're going to Paris!"

Olivia screamed and jumped on the bed to hug her friend before exiting the room like she was on fire. From the kitchen Quinn heard :

"Be ready to eat the best bacon of your whole life!"

There was a silence before the brunette's voice echoed again:

"And I want some explanations!"

Quinn reluctantly went to work on Monday after spending her whole Sunday planning cool stuffs to do in Paris and trying to explain how she felt towards Rachel. Since she wasn't sure herself it hasn't been the easiest thing but Olivia knew her enough not to ask any unrequested question. She just told her that Rachel was someone special to her and that she felt like she had missed something. Something possibly huge. It had been 10 years and yet it was still here. That soothing feeling only Rachel provided her when she was around and something was wrong. The fact that she was the only one who ever told her the words she had needed to hear the most. Quinn felt stupid when she thought about it because Rachel could have said that by pure kindness for all she knew, but it didn't feel like it. It felt like it was more than that and if even after 10 years she still couldn't get rid of the feeling then maybe it really meant something. And now there was these 6 words, 6 little words that she still couldn't figure out. So yes, maybe it was time she did something about this all and she would, in two weeks. She thanked God for sending that letter to Rachel the week before, however ridiculous the idea sounded at that time. She was going to Paris!

Quinn was so excited and lost in her thoughts that she almost dismissed another star-stamped letter when she went through her daily mail.


	4. Chapter 4 : Dear Quinn

**Title** : Nevermind I'll find someone like you

**A/N** : I'm leaving till thursday so the next update will take a little bit longer. Hope you enjoy and don't hesitate to tell me what you think!

Part 4 : Dear Quinn

_Dear Quinn, _

_I know my previous letter was a little cryptic, hence this one._

Okay that seemed a little bit more like Rachel than the previous letter. Quinn reluctantly stopped reading to grab her keys and get into her house. She threw her bag on the kitchen counter and sat on the first stool to keep reading.

_I will try to make myself clearer and answer to the questions that it has possibly arisen. To say that your letter surprised me would be an understatement. I know thanks to Kurt that you are still in touch with Brittany and Santana but I would never have imagined that I was still on your mind sometimes. After the prom ten years ago – gosh time flies – I thought that we had something. Something strong enough to be the grounds of a solid friendship. That's what I thought back then. With the years passing-by came the maturity and I now know that I wanted more than that. You infuriated me at times, but you also knew me. You knew me more than Finn, and you sent me on my way like he never could have. For this I will forever be grateful towards you. I was happy dating Finn because I had finally succeeded in getting something you wanted. That's what I called love. It gave me a goal : to get Finn, and to keep him away from you. I sound like a horrible person but believe me, when "love" is your motive you are ready to do the meanest thing in order to keep it. I gave up on you on senior year. I had Finn and you didn't want me, what more could I have done? Today I realize I should have gone to you instead of watching you from afar. I realize I should have listened to my guts telling me I was missing something. So here is the explanation Quinn. I won't name a feeling because I have learned to choose carefully the people I surround myself with and ten years is a long time. But I haven't forgotten you. Given your past letter, I tend to believe that neither have you. Maybe I misunderstood it and you simply wanted to congratulate me on my voice – thank you by the way. But the Quinn I knew rarely did things without motives, and my guts are telling me yet again that there might be something there._

_I'm sorry if this letter raises more questions than it brings answers. Maybe I can answer some of them in two weeks if you're still willing to come._

_Sincerely,_

_Rachel Barbra Berry_

To say Quinn was puzzled was an understatement. She read the letter twice and went over the smooth writing of Rachel over and over again. Suddenly she felt the change. She felt like she hadn't in years. She felt barriers tumbling down and repressed feelings flooding her. She wanted to see Rachel, she needed to see her. She needed to confront her to finally get the answer she had been seeking for so long. Was she in love with Rachel Berry? Not once had she let her mind acknowledge that this could be why she had so many contradictory feelings towards the brunette. She couldn't because she bullied her, she couldn't because she rejected her. And acknowledging that she actually loved Rachel would be admitting that she was the only one responsible for her ordinary and loveless life.

Without thinking anymore, she grabbed her phone and texted Olivia.

_I feel like Bridget Jones but without the alcohol._

Her phone buzzed 2 minutes later:

_I'm here to make you feel complete darling. Be there in 10'_

Quinn could have sworn she heard the bottles clinking before she heard the doorbell. Olivia greeted her with a bottle of red wine in one hand and one of vodka in the other.

"Whoa, easy, it's only Monday!" Quinn said when she saw the bottles.

"I know I know, but I didn't know what mood you were in so…"

"How considerate of you"

Quinn smiled and motioned for her friend to come in. Olivia took two glasses out and casted a questioning look at Quinn.

"Wine." The blonde simply said.

Olivia poured them both a generous glass of wine that she brought to the living room and put on the coffee table. Quinn was already on the couch, her eyes fixing some invisible point afar.

"So, is it about Rachel again?" Olivia asked quietly.

Quinn only nodded. She didn't think there was anything more to say than what she already told her friend the day before. The only thing that had changed was that her feelings, whatever they were, were seemingly returned. Well, maybe not anymore but they had been. And they had been strong enough for Rachel to still want to see her ten years later. Quinn felt the warm hand of Olivia taking hers and silently thanked her friend for being here. It had been very long since she had been confused like this and having someone to lean on was nice to say the least.

"So what now?" the brunette broke the silence again.

"Now we wait."

A slight smile appeared on Olivia's face when she asked :

"Maybe we can watch a movie or two and enjoy some wine to make time go faster?"

Quinn smiled in turn.

"We can definitely do that!"


	5. Chapter 5 : American Riviera

Enjoy!

Part 5 : American Riviera

The rest of the week went on as usual without any noticeable event; excluding Olivia's teasing remarks about how Quinn was trying new make-up styles to find the one that fitted her best. It was a perfectly normal week but Quinn felt it differently. She had something to wait for, a goal to reach. It gave her monotonous life the purpose it used to lack. She was out running and she gladly noticed that her runs were getting longer without her being completely out of breath- which wasn't exactly the case of Atticus. She wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that she was meeting Rachel in a week. Her mind wandered even further and she began to imagine how the brunette would look like. She probably wasn't wearing skirts and high socks anymore. When she saw her on tv, she was as pretty as she remembered. The ten years that had passed complimented her face; it had forged it with character and yet she still seemed very vulnerable when she was singing. When she thought about hearing her sing, Quinn felt her knees weaken. Rachel's voice was extraordinary, and the word didn't even do it justice. To be honest, Quinn didn't know if Rachel would have had such an effect on her even years later if she didn't sing. But then it wouldn't really have been Rachel Berry for the brunette and singing had become kind of the same thing to Quinn.

Her weekend was just as uneventful as her week. She spent more time than she would admit surfing on fashion websites looking for the perfect dress and almost went to her attic looking for her suitcase. Then she realized that she was leaving in a week and that maybe she was being slightly too enthusiastic about it.

Her last trip had been to California to visit Brittany and Santana 7 months ago. Her relationship with her friends had majorly improved after high school and especially after Quinn had answered a middle-of-the-night call from a drunk Santana crying so much over her phone that she couldn't understand a word. Quinn had gone over to her place but she already knew what was wrong. High school had been over for a week and graduation day was soon to come and Brittany and her hadn't really made any progress over the year. They had sung a lot, sure, but as cute as their songs were, Quinn couldn't really see it as an improvement since they weren't punctuated by any public sign of affection. She had tried to comfort Santana by telling her that they were still in Lima and it wasn't too late yet. When Santana had begun to scream that she didn't know that, Quinn had simply told her to man up a bit and freaking do something. Quinn's outbursts were rare but effective and so Santana had grabbed the phone yet again and speed dialed the number she knew by heart. Her tears had dried out but her voice had been barely over a whisper when she'd asked Brittany if she could come over because she had to talk to her. Quinn had left when she'd heard the doorbell rang and waved Brittany goodbye on her way back. At graduation 2 days later, after Brittany's name had been called, she'd run into Santana's arms and Quinn could have told that the blushing of their cheeks while they were kissing was 100% love and none of shame.

Now they shared a little house on the west coast and Quinn loved visiting them. She always felt in a fantasy when she went there. It was almost always sunny, the sea wasn't too far, and the girls – women - were still so mad about each other it almost made her want to puke. Plus Santana's cooking skills had deeply improved, which resulted in her working in one of the finest restaurant of Santa Barbara. They had chosen the American Riviera to settle in because it was more quiet than Los Angeles and the environment seemed perfect to raise the little baby girl they had a 9 months ago. Quinn had visited them to meet little Jasmine and promised her friends that she would come again for her first birthday. As much as she had enjoyed her trip, when she was on her flight back she couldn't help but feel the urge to hold a baby in her arms again. She'd quickly dismissed the thought for she didn't even have met a partner yet.

But today was Sunday and in 6 days she would be in Paris and in 12 days she'd see Rachel sing. Twelve days. It felt like an awful lot of time that went by like 2 seconds; before Quinn could even think about it it was Friday evening and their plane was the day after in the afternoon and she was still struggling with shoes and dresses and skirts and clothes. Her distress was interrupted by her doorbell and she'd lie if she said it didn't make her jump.

"Who is it?" she yelled while going to the door.

"Your mom!" came the answer on the same tone.

Quinn childishly smiled while opening the door.

"You almost gave me a heart attack, I was packing.." Quinn explained, then continued: "By the way that joke is overused, gross and childish"

"Yeah right I'm sure you laughed anyway" Olivia entered the house and directly went to Quinn's bedroom. The suitcase was wide open on the bed and there were clothes everywhere.

"Man it's worst than Fukushima in here…"Olivia started but was interrupted

"Oliv it's not even remotely funny and come on, I _was_ packing and I'd be finished if you didn't interrupt…" She kept putting some piles of clothes in the suitcase.

"Q. stop kidding me you know if I wasn't here you'd have called me anyway…"

Quinn wondered a second if she was _that_ dependant of her friend and quickly decided that she wasn't but it was much more fun to pack with her anyway.

"Okay smart ass, come help me choose which shoes I'm not taking then."


	6. Chapter 6 : Sunset

**A/N** : Hope you'll enjoy, tell me if you do!  
>ps: they're gonna meet soon<p>

Part 6 :

"I can't believe you're not drinking champagne with me. We're going to Paris!"

Quinn rolled her eyes and explained:

"I don't want my first words on the French ground to be "I'm drunk!""

Olivia waved her thinning in the alley until a steward came to fill it up again.

"Well okay miss not-funny-at-all, I'll drink for us both then!"

"Don't you dare being sick on this plane Liv"

It was the brunette's turn to roll her eyes:

"Excuse me? Who do you think I am? It takes more than 2 cups of champagne to get me wasted"

The indignation in her voice made Quinn chuckle and she simply nodded before getting her book and her glasses out.

"Okay" Olivia continued "I get it, no more talking. You've just gone from not funny to totally boring."

"Shut up Oliv I'm reading" Quinn answered quietly.

"And you totally look like a dirty secretary, just saying."

Quinn smiled but said nothing, too caught up in her book already.

They arrived in Paris at on Sunday 5am local time. The time for them to get their luggage and take a taxi to their hotel it was 8.30am already. Since they didn't really manage to get any sleep on their flight, they decided it would be wise to take a little nap before exploring the city. Their hotel, _Le Chat Noir_, was in the 18th arrondissement and not too far from Montmartre.

Quinn fell asleep smiling, though she wasn't sure what made her happy the most : being in Paris or the prospect of seeing Rachel in 5 days. Probably both she thought, dismissing the thought that even if she was meeting Rachel in the crappiest of town she'd still be terribly happy about it.

Around 11am Olivia's stomach woke her up and she decided it was the perfect time to go brunch somewhere in Paris. Quinn was up already and enjoying the tub in the bathroom.

"Aren't we classy ? Going for a brunch in Paris and stuff?" Olivia said with a childish excitement that made Quinn realize once again how stupid she had been not to immediately think of her best friend when she saw the two tickets.

"We sure are" she replied from her bath. She hadn't taken a bath in so long she couldn't even remember when her last one was. She hadn't been so happy and relaxed in ages and she hoped she wouldn't have to come off of cloud anytime soon. Olivia interrupted her joy fest by knocking loudly on the door :

"Q. come on I need to shower and to get ready too!"

Quinn sighted and reluctantly got out of the bathtub to wrap herself up in one of the soft towel at her disposition. She hummed her contentment in the lavender smelling fabric before leaving the bathroom to her friend.

"There you go sexy"

"Says the girl walking around in our hotel room wearing nothing else than a towel..." Olivia replied sarcastically.

"So you think I'm sexy?" Quinn asked, winking at the brunette who was entering their shared bathroom.

"You wish" she answered smiling before closing the door.

"I'm gonna move to France."

After this statement, Olivia put another croissant in her mouth and rolled her eyes in ecstasy. They had found a nice little café where they opted for a breakfast instead of a brunch; and Olivia had been thanking every god she could name for the French pastries ever since she ate her first croissant.

Quinn was enjoying her hot chocolate and listening to her friend rave about France, nodding her head in agreement from time to time. She, too , definitely had a crush on this city. They hadn't seen much yet, but the whole mood was so different from Lima or any other American city. People looked different, walked different… It was so refreshing that for a moment Quinn thought that her friend's desire to live here wasn't that stupid. The clichés she had heard about Paris turned out to be true as she felt a romantic wave pouring into her heart. Rachel couldn't have thought about a better rendez-vous place. The noise of Olivia savoring her food got her out of her reverie.

"You don't even know how to speak French" Quinn stated.

"Not yet" Olivia replied with a smirk.

They left the café some time later to visit the neighborhood, Quinn practically having to drag her friend out of the place. Since they weren't far from Montmartre they began by the Sacré Coeur, also known as one of the most romantic place of the city. It was Sunday afternoon and there were a lot of families in the streets on their Sunday walk. After passing by at least 5 of them, Quinn thought that maybe she could buy a little something for Jasmine. She found a cute pair of socks with a French flag print and a teddy bear wearing a beret.

The day was coming to an end and Quinn had rarely seen something as beautiful as the sunset on the most beautiful city of the world. They were still on the Montmartre hill, enjoying the light breeze of early September.

"Gosh if you were my girlfriend I would kiss you right now and it would be the most romantic kiss you'd have ever had." Olivia said quietly, breaking the silence that had naturally settled between them.

"You just ruined the mood pretty face." Quinn answered softly. "But that must be one of the cutest thing you've said in a while so you're forgiven." she continued, smiling at her friend.

Olivia's green eyes locked with Quinn's and she mimicked her smile.

"Pretty face uh?"

Caught up in the mood and in this perfect moment, Quinn slid her hand behind her friend's neck, her fingers quickly entangling into dark locks and kissed her. It wasn't new and she suddenly remembered how Olivia had convinced her to spend the night at her place on their first date. It didn't take long for the brunette to kiss her back and hold her waist while doing so. Quinn felt herself fall into the embrace hard and fast and panicked a little. When their lips finally parted, she couldn't help but think that she really needed to find someone. That kiss had been far too good for a best friends' kiss. Olivia was the first to break the silence:

"It was a friends' kiss right?" she had a little smirk while asking. Quinn nodded, reassuring her friend.

"Well you sure put your heart into everything you do miss Fabray" the brunette said. "Wait" she continued. "Don't tell me you were thinking about that Rachel girl while kissing me?"

"I wasn't but now I'm totally picturing it" Quinn answered with a wink.

With that they started walking down the stairs to find a restaurant in which Olivia could keep on going about her foodgasms and Quinn could taste something else than her friend's lips.


	7. Chapter 7 : Rachel

**A/N** : yes they'll meet soon, feel free to tell me what you liked/didn't like, enjoy! (and thank you to my beta.)

Part 7 : Rachel

Mondays in New York had always been her favorite days. There were 2 kinds of people in the streets: those who saw it as the beginning of the week and as an invitation to start new things and those who saw it as the end of their weekend and reluctantly got out of bed. Rachel was part of the first category. And this time she had another reason to be excited about this week. She was going to Paris on Friday to sing in a famous café-théâtre. And she was also going to see Quinn. She was still wary about the latter event. Ten years was a really long time. She tried to remember Quinn for a moment. Flashes of blonde hair. Sweet eyes in which slight touches of brown mixed up with a shiny green. Cute smile. Her sitting in the back of the room at the Glee club, reading like there was nothing else in the world. Prom and that slap. A woman who only ever revealed herself when she had to. Quinn Fabray was definitely some woman. The letter had surprised her at first but after putting some thoughts into it Rachel realized it kind of made sense. Quinn took time for things, every thing. She took time to figure them out as well. Rachel had always been aware of that bond between them; ever since she fell for Finn she knew that Quinn was part of the package. She even acted on that feeling, offering her a truce and hoping they could be friends. Quinn shut her down and when the possibility of afternoons spent at her place watching movies and cooking cupcakes vanished, Rachel realized how much she actually wanted this. When she caught herself looking at the blonde more than 5 times a class – yes she actually counted – she started to think that maybe Finn wasn't enough anymore. She stayed with him though, because it made Quinn look at them. Quinn knew that Rachel was glancing at her not-so-subtly in class. When she wasn't, it seemed like Quinn was actually seeking these deep brown eyes of hers. It only added to Rachel's idea that they were special and that even if they had missed their chance in high school, she could still hope that someday, somewhere they could make up for the lost time.

Someday was happening on Friday and somewhere was in Paris. She had already made her intentions pretty clear in her second letter anyway so there was no going back.

"Your coffee, miss."

Images of Quinn vanished from her thoughts and she handed the guy a few bucks. It was only Monday and she needed to keep it together until the end of the week; she had a lot of work to do in the meantime.

"I can't believe my fashion show is on the same day than your show." Kurt said for the sixth time this week. "So, excited to go to Paris again?" he asked.

"You can't even imagine. I love that city so much it hurts." Rachel smiled. "If my heart wasn't forever devoted to Broadway I'd be probably living there… Stop pouting, I'm sure there will be other opportunities." Rachel reached across the table to take the hand of her friend and squeezed it gently.

"There better be, miss Berry!"

Despite the fact that Kurt couldn't attend to her little private show he was genuinely happy that Rachel had made it to Paris. She was his rising star of Broadway and one of his best friends in the world. New York wouldn't be the same without her and the day they had both moved to the city that never sleeps must have been his favorite day. Rachel felt the same way he always did; they both knew that they belonged here. And indeed it didn't take long for them to find their way in their specialized area.

The call for Rachel's plane interrupted them and Kurt walked her to her gate before taking her in his arms.

"Rock their world honey." He whispered in her ear. "And say hi to Quinn from me."

He stepped back while saying this and the look he gave Rachel made her think he was very aware of her confused feelings towards their former classmate.

"Will do." She answered before hugging him one last time.

Kurt waved at her until she entered the waiting room and left to sort out the details of his own show. His phone buzzed right after he got out of the taxi

"Good luck for your show tomorrow, see you on Tuesday to hear all about it ;) xxx"

Rachel had booked a day flight because she couldn't sleep in planes and she loved landing when it was night. Her plane flew over Paris around 10.30pm and by 11.15pm she was in a taxi that was taking her to her hotel. It was her third time in Paris and she had booked a room in her usual hotel _Le Chat Noir_. At first the fact that it was located right next to some of Pigalle's famous places disturbed her a bit but now that she was used to the peculiar location she just loved it. Moreover Montmartre was ten minutes away and that couldn't be disregarded. The staff welcomed her and asked her if it was a personal trip or if she was going to sing somewhere. She told them that she was a bit stressed out to sing at _La Bonne Etoile_ but that she was glad to be in Paris again. She decided to quickly eat something at the bar before going to bed given that she hadn't eaten anything since she had boarded the plane. She wasn't usually picky but the food on the plane didn't look like anything good and it wasn't vegan anyway.

There were a few people enjoying the piano in the hotel's lobby from the bar. Rachel stood on a stool next to a very good looking brunette and thought that she could use some social time before her stressful evening of the day after. The brunette acknowledged her presence and politely smiled at her before turning her attention back to the piano. She had very nice eyes, Rachel noticed. During and after her meal she caught herself staring at the girl more than once. She had a beautiful red dress that complimented her body perfectly. It didn't take long for Rachel to wonder how she would look without the dress. She didn't like to admit it but it had almost become a habit to have one-night-stands before a show. It usually helped her relax a lot and boosted her ego like nothing else. She looked at the brunette again and waited for her to do the same. When the stranger finally noticed, Rachel held out her hand and said in a very good French

"Bonsoir, je m'appelle Rachel, enchantée de vous rencontrer. Aimeriez-vous aller prendre un verre?"**

The girl smiled and answered while shaking Rachel's hand

"Hi, I didn't get a single word you said but I'm pleased to meet you Rachel, I'm Olivia."

**"Hi, my name is Rachel, nice to meet you. Would you like to have a drink with me?"


	8. Chapter 8 : The frown

**A/N** : Hope you'll enjoy, let me know! Thanks T for beta-ing it :)

The moment she saw her Olivia knew there was something about this girl. She had some sort of aura around her, something that said "Look at me I'm brilliant". She noticed her eyes constantly glancing at her when she was eating and had Quinn been there, she would have made a bet with her that the girl would ask her out before the end of the evening. When she held out her hand and introduced her in French, Olivia smirked and took the hand. She had a warm hand and a firm handshake. Right after she introduced herself, Olivia's smile dropped and so did her hand. Was the girl who she thought she was?

"Is there something wrong? Apart from me making a fool of myself in French?" Rachel asked mimicking Olivia's frown.

"No… No nothing's wrong…I just felt like I uh, like I'd seen you somewhere..." Olivia answered hesitantly.

The more she looked at her, the more Olivia was sure that it was the Rachel Quinn was talking to her about. She hadn't seen any picture but she could have sworn it was her. Olivia didn't have the time to decide whether or not she'd tell Rachel that she knew her because a flash of blonde hair suddenly appeared over the brunette's shoulder. Quinn was approaching them with a grin on her face :

"Well I see you have made friends Oliv." Quinn was going to introduce herself when the brunette Olivia was talking to turned around.

Rachel was relieved when she heard the stranger answer in English. She loved speaking French but it could be exhausting and she was glad to hear a familiar language tonight. Olivia was a nice name and she thought this was going well until said Olivia frowned. She explained it but it didn't go away and the next thing she knew, she was hearing a familiar voice talking behind her. She turned around to make sure she just didn't have an auditory hallucination.

Rachel was radiant. It was the first word that came to her mind. Quinn stared at her in awe. She had a dark blue dress that perfectly matched her eyes make-up and her long brown hair was falling gracefully around her face. She was torn between being happy to see Rachel this early and being desperate for seeing Rachel this early. She just had a bath, she was all relaxed and not wearing anything fancy (a white long-sleeved shirt and casual jeans). She tried to smile but it was like her face was frozen.

"Quinn! Oh my god!"

Rachel couldn't not speak, especially when she was in utter shock. It had been 10 years and yet she could have recognized her in a crowd. Quinn's hair had grown and was shoulder-length now. It was as shiny as she remembered, just like her eyes. She seemed as taken aback as Rachel, the expression of surprise mirrored on her face. Rachel couldn't help but notice the first button of her white shirt unbuttoned and how well her jeans fitted her.

Time seemed to stop for a moment. They were in high school again and Rachel was asking Quinn if she wanted to be her friend, for real this time. That day Rachel saw in Quinn's eyes what she never dared to say. "Yes, let's be friends, I need one. I need you." Quinn hadn't said anything and had just walked away. And never really spoken to her again. Not saying anything that mattered anyway. Today she couldn't bail though. Today they had to figure out what they wanted. Fate didn't bring them together, they did. Letters did. So what were they really worth?

Their feet were abruptly brought back to earth by Olivia.

"Well this should be interesting. And awkward."

Both their heads turned to the brunette sitting on her stool. She looked at them with an apologetic smile.

"Okay okay I'll leave you two alone and I'll mind my own business."

She grabbed her glass and left the bar of the hotel. Quinn quickly took her place and ordered a drink. Then she put her attention back to Rachel and tried to make sure that the brunette couldn't hear her heart racing in her ribcage.

"Well this is a bit disconcerting." Rachel started.

Quinn nodded but said nothing. She wasn't ready to see Rachel yet; she hadn't thought through what she wanted to tell her. Gosh! She hadn't a single idea about what to tell her and where to start.

"Let's start with the basics." Rachel continued. "How are you? How have you been? What's your job and.."

"Easy Rachel" Quinn couldn't help but interrupt her. "We've got some time." She smiled shyly, wondering if she could still do that. Interrupt Rachel now that she was a star in New York. Bad habits die hard she thought. Since Rachel wasn't saying anything, she started answering her questions.

"I'm good. Surprised, but good. I've been working in Lima for the past ten years..."

Quinn tried to ignore the ever-so-slight wince on Rachel's face when she said Lima.

"…And uh, I'm on vacation in Paris with my best friend so yeah, I guess I'm good." She rubbed her palms on her jeans, she hadn't noticed they were clammy until now.

"Oh so Olivia…"

"Is my best friend. Yes."

Quinn didn't know what to add. She didn't know if Rachel had been hitting on Olivia or if it was the contrary but neither of these suppositions actually pleased her.

Rachel looked at her strangely like she was trying to see if Olivia was really her best friend or if there was something Quinn wasn't telling her. It had been ten years but the Rachel look was still as intimidating as when they were in high school.

"What?" Quinn finally asked, unable to stand the brunette's eyes boring a hole into her soul anymore.

"Best friend?" Rachel asked in return.

"Without benefits." Quinn specified. "Not anymore anyway" she added on a lower tone.

"So you've taken the plunge!" Rachel exclaimed. For a moment it seemed like she was about to hug her but she just raised her glass to Quinn. "Congratulations! Welcome to the marvelous world of sexual deviance." She said smiling.

"There's nothing deviant in being..." Quinn started to protest.

"I know I know. I just wanted to make sure you'd really changed." Rachel explained and winked at her.

Quinn smirked. Did Rachel just wink at her? There were so many things she wanted to say but she couldn't decide which ones would be appropriate in such a situation. The basics, right.

"What about you? You look great on screen by the way." And off screen too she thought.

"Thanks. Well I'm singing on Broadway and abroad so you could say I'm good too."

Silence fell upon them. There was no Finn or no Glee club to talk about anymore. They just sat there looking at each other, eyes meeting every now and then. Rachel was glad that fate or whatever it was had decided to reunite them earlier than planned. She knew Quinn had some difficulties being spontaneous and this situation didn't give her any choice. She was surprised to see how easily they had fallen back into some sort of dynamic. They talked like 2 old friends who hadn't seen each other for a couple of months rather than ten years. And were they even friends at some point?

Quinn had become a very attractive woman; there was no point in denying it. But she had also changed and Rachel hadn't really figured out yet who the woman standing in front of her was. Quinn plus ten years or a completely different person.

Quinn finally broke the silence:

"Would you go out with me?" she asked bluntly.

The second she realized what she just said her cheeks took a bright red shade.

"I mean have dinner with me? So we could catch up a bit?"

A completely different person she was then. Well maybe not that different but at least grown-up Quinn had some balls.


	9. Chapter 9 : The discovery

Rachel was taken aback by the offer but she wouldn't be Rachel Berry if she flinched every time she got a dinner invitation.

"My show is a 6pm tomorrow, I guess I could manage some free time afterwards."

She answered calmly and never looked anywhere else but in Quinn's eyes. She needed to show the woman that despite her words in the last letter they exchanged, she wasn't ready to jump at her feet just yet. The indirect answer didn't seem to unsettle the blonde. What unsettled Rachel however was that hazel eyes that were locked with hers just a moment ago were now focused on her lips. She didn't know if Quinn was doing this on purpose but the fact that she could be the one leading this conversation was suddenly very upsetting.

"So, it that okay with you?" Rachel felt the need to ask so that Quinn would stop.

It worked. Slower than Rachel would have wanted, Quinn's eyes drifted back up, tracing every feature of Rachel's face until they reached her eyes.

"Yes, no problem." Quinn answered with a smile. "I'll book something around here, we've seen some nice restaurants today."

Quinn liked being in charge, that was no news. What had begun as an awkward reunion had turned into an exciting moment for the blonde. All this had been prompted by her wish to change and now was the time to _be_ the change. She liked flirting even though she thought her game was a bit rusty, but the fact that she knew Rachel - or at least had known her for a certain time - helped her put her plan into action. The little brunette was old school. A charming restaurant in Montmartre could certainly score her some points. Her cocktail was currently helping too. Or maybe it was just her brain that couldn't stop telling her eyes to stare at Rachel's lips. Maybe it wasn't helping anything actually because it only increased her urge to kiss them.

"Quinn? Quinn!" Rachel's voice broke the quiet atmosphere of the lobby.

"Yes?"

Quinn mentally kicked herself for being so easily distracted. It was so intoxicating to finally have someone to chase after. And she didn't mean that in a bad way. Rachel wasn't her pray, she was her goal. She needed her now just like she needed her ten years ago and today she was ready to admit it. She didn't care if things didn't work or if Rachel had completely changed or worse – changed her mind about her. She needed to give it a go because Rachel had that power over her, that magical thing that made her want to pour her heart out. Rachel listened more than she talked when it came to Quinn and that would have been enough of an explanation for anyone who knew the girl.

"I'd better go to bed, I have a big day tomorrow and all…" Rachel said in a low voice as if it was going to counterbalance her little outburst. Quinn really seemed distracted tonight.

"Alright, I understand. Which floor are you on?" She asked.

Rachel stared at her for a minute trying to figure out if this was curiosity or if there were other motives behind the question. The problem with Quinn was that her face was more or less angel-like in any situation. She could say the meanest thing and still look like heaven. Rachel was too tired to think this through now anyway, what with the jetlag and everything.

"Third."

With that she got up. Quinn mimicked her but they stood there still and silent because none of them knew what kind of goodnight would be appropriate. Quinn thought better of it when she said:

"Well we're on the third floor too and we had an exhausting day so…after you." She gestured for the brunette to lead the way and quickly followed her.

Quinn glanced at the little room with the piano next to the lobby but Olivia was nowhere to be seen; she had probably gone back to their room already.

They walked side by side in silence, entered the elevator in silence, went up the three stairs in silence and got out of it in silence. It was too silent for Quinn's liking but since she couldn't think about anything clever to say she figured it was better like this. Rachel's room was about 5 rooms away from theirs. The brunette stopped in front of the door and smiled shyly. She felt like she was seventeen again: the situation was confusing her and yet she didn't want it to end.

Quinn looked at her and saw the inner crisis that Rachel was having. She only thought about one thing before leaning in: change.

She grabbed one of Rachel's hands and put the other on the brunette's cheek. Her skin was warm and soft and Quinn felt like she had just discovered what skin was really supposed to feel like. Whether it was out of surprise or because she really wanted to, Rachel squeezed Quinn's hand before slightly leaning into the blonde's touch. Afraid that she would back off when she'd realize what was going on, Quinn didn't wait any longer to kiss her. When their lips met the word intoxicating took a whole new meaning for both of them. Quinn put a light pressure on Rachel's waist to bring her closer until their bodies were fully pressed against each other. Rachel's other hand slid behind Quinn's neck. She slightly parted her lips and felt the wetness of Quinn's tongue inside her mouth. Once again Quinn felt like she was completely losing control of the situation. Although this time she was more than glad to let herself fall into Rachel's arms; speaking figuratively and literally. Rachel's perfume was all over her and the feeling of her tongue against hers was just too good.

When Rachel leaned back after a final peck, Quinn immediately missed her lips.

"I waited the whole evening to do this." The blonde whispered, still holding Rachel's hand.

"I waited ten years." Rachel answered with a smile.


	10. Chapter 10 : Twice

So yes, maybe it was still there. The spark that suddenly lit up anytime they were together; whether it was out of anger, frustration or…more. Rachel's resolution to not fall into Quinn's attractive embrace at their first meeting was slowly crumbling down. Especially after that kiss.

"I uh, I should go in now." Rachel said.

She let go of Quinn's hand to find her keycard and hoped that her dizziness would dissipate while she was rummaging through her purse. The presence of the blonde still so close to her wasn't helping the process. She could almost feel Quinn's regular warm breath on her neck and each one made her want to drop her purse and key altogether and just kiss her again.

"You're blushing." Quinn said in a quiet tone.

The brunette could almost hear the smile in her voice. These were her first words after the kiss and they certainly didn't help Rachel regain her composure. Rachel finally found her key and looked up to find hazel eyes staring at her. She tried not to think about the proximity, about her lips still so close and their hands brushing against each other.

"It's hot in these hallways… I don't know…"

"Is Rachel Berry at a loss for words?" Quinn teased.

Quinn didn't know what was going on within her but she was on a roll and there was no way she'd stop anytime soon. Maybe it was just the kiss, maybe it was much more. The teasing put them back in earlier days and it seemed to help Rachel pull herself together.

"I don't know Quinn, maybe if you didn't stand so close to me…" she answered truthfully.

"I'm not sure I can do otherwise" Quinn admitted, taking the brunette's hand in hers once again.

"Well you managed for the last ten years."

Rachel let the blonde take her hand but only because she was distracted by the storm going on in her mind. The answer was both bitter and sad but Rachel never broke eye contact. This wasn't fair, Quinn couldn't just intrude her life and make her feel like…this. She never asked how New York was, she never wrote, she never called. She was still in touch with Santana and Brittany but never tried to reach her in ten freaking years. And Rachel was fine with it, she got over the little feelings she might have had in high school and she…No, she didn't forget her. But she was fine until that stupid letter two weeks ago. She hadn't found anyone extraordinary, only girlfriends here and there. She lived in New York for the most of her time but not a single soul had made her feel more alive than when she was singing. Quinn used to make her want to shut up. She made her feel like she was more than just a voice; and she was the only one who ever had that effect on her.

She felt a pressure on her hand. Quinn had squeezed it involuntarily.

"I'm so sorry." Quinn whispered.

The exact same words Quinn had said when she had slapped her. The sadness in her eyes looked the same, too. They didn't say "I'm sorry" as much as "I hate myself for this". The blame w as just too much to handle and it broke Rachel's heart. She had seen too much of it, too much of sad green-hazel eyes. She squeezed Quinn's hand in return.

"It's just, confusing you know?" Rachel's voice was barely over a whisper.

For the first time this evening, Quinn became herself again, forgetting her desire to change that had been pushing her over her limits the whole time.

"I know" she admitted. "I just… I feel like an idiot for so many things… I just want to, I don't know, make it up…"

"We have time for that." Rachel answered. "I should really go to bed now." She said reluctantly.

They were standing so close to each other Rachel could almost see the reflection of her distraught self in Quinn's eyes. When she gestured to enter her room, she felt her arm being slightly tugged at and the hand that was holding hers ended up on her waist. Next thing she knew, a soft pair of lips that felt deliciously familiar were on hers again. Quinn quickly deepened the kiss and gently pressed Rachel against her own room's door. The brunette moaned against her lips and grabbed Quinn by the collar to bring her closer. She didn't care if Quinn had completely blown her off ten years ago; the only thing that mattered now was that her hands were on her waist and making their way down and it was driving her crazy. Quinn let her hand grab the hem of Rachel's dress and started slowly lifting it up. She wanted to feel more skin, less fabric. Rachel wasn't wearing any tights and the blonde couldn't be more grateful for that decision. She moaned into the kiss, quickly echoed by Rachel. When she realized things were getting way out of control she leaned back and put her hand back up on the brunette's tiny waist. Both of their cheeks were flushed and they were breathing irregularly. Quinn seemed to hesitate but finally leaned in one last time and softly kissed her cheek before letting go of her waist.

"Goodnight." She said, the shadow of a smile playing on her lips.

"Night" Rachel answered and finally entered her room.

She would lie if she said she didn't imitate numerous scenes from her favorite romantic movies and leaned against her door while uttering a content sigh.

Quinn walked to her room automatically, her brain already replaying the whole evening. When she got in, she saw an indistinct shape in the bed and didn't turn the lights on not to wake Olivia. She undressed in the bathroom and slipped into bed next to her seemingly sleeping friend. She didn't even have the time to close her eyes when she heard Olivia's voice :

"So did you kiss her?"

Olivia couldn't see Quinn's bright smile when she answered

"Yes. Twice."

"Oh my god you stud! Well, she is really pretty."

"She's beautiful." Quinn sighed. "And wait till you hear her sing."

"You sound so sweet it's disgusting." Olivia nudged Quinn under the cover.

"You're just jealous." The blonde teased.

"Yeah, right."

Quinn heard the pout in her friend's voice and moved closer the hug her.

"What the hell?" Olivia protested but leaned into Quinn's arms all the same.

"Night Liv" Quinn whispered in a sleepy tone.

"Night Q."


	11. Chapter 11

A/N : Sorry it took me longer than usual, hope you enjoy guys :)

Rachel woke up with the sun that morning. She hadn't slept as well as she wished she had but given what happened the night before she was glad she could get any sleep at all. She couldn't let herself be distracted by Quinn and yet she couldn't ignore that strange warmth at the pit of her stomach whenever she thought about the blonde.

She got ready and went downstairs to take her breakfast in the dining room. To her relief, neither Quinn nor Olivia was to be seen. Rachel had never been afraid of awkward but she didn't exactly know how she was supposed to act towards Quinn just yet. They'd have to talk this through a little more thoroughly than the night before; but for now what mattered was the show tonight. Rachel ate with enthusiasm, excited about her upcoming concert and looking forward to the feeling of liberation that singing never failed to bring her.

"Q. I'm hungry, come on!"

Just to prove her point, Olivia's stomach started loudly rumbling at that moment, earning a smile from Quinn still curled up in bed.

"I don't want to go downstairs. What if she's there already?" Quinn answered on a whiny tone.

"Oh my god, Quinn! You've come to Paris to see her!" Olivia said disbelievingly.

The brunette, who was fully dressed and ready, came back to the bed and started pulling at the cover Quinn was hiding under. The weird noise that came out of her mouth expressed something between indignation and frustration and it only encouraged Olivia to keep pulling.

"Liv! Stop it!"

"_You_ stop it, stop being a child, come on I'm starving!" The plea in her voice was being more honest as time was passing by and her stomach remained empty.

Quinn begrudgingly got out of bed and went directly to the bathroom without looking back at her friend. She wasn't really mad at her, she just didn't know what she'd say to Rachel if she saw her so the best thing was to try and not see her. She had loved their evening, to hear Rachel's voice again, to see her smile, the new feeling of her skin and her lips…and how easy it was to get carried away with her... But this was going fast and had way too many resemblances with a bad teen movie.

The hot water of the shower hit her face and dissipated her thoughts and her worries as quickly as it reminded her that she was in Paris and about to hear Rachel sing.

Rachel wasn't in the room and Quinn let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. The two friends talked about what they should visit over breakfast, Quinn insisting that they'd be back at least an hour before Rachel's show in order to prepare herself.

"What like, mentally?" Olivia interrupted her.

Quinn rolled her eyes before answering:

"No but we'll need to change and stuff… And I don't want to be late."

"Or sitting in the last row." The brunette added, smiling at her. "So what's you plan?" she continued.

Upon seeing that Quinn was about to protest, Olivia raised her hand to keep her from talking

"Don't lie to me Q., I know you have one so spill it"

The blonde sighed and told her friend about the nice restaurant they had seen on their first visit in the city. The place was romantic and cute and they could walk around Montmartre and the Sacré Coeur after dinner.

"I know it's really cliché but Rachel likes traditional stuff like this…" Quinn tried to explain to her friend who couldn't hide a teasing smile when she heard the plan of the evening.

The blonde had started fidgeting with her napkin when the after-dinner moment came in the conversation and Olivia put a calm hand over hers to make it stop.

"Yes honey, I'm sure she'll love it okay?" with that she flashed Quinn a smile that she thought was reassuring when really it was just her infamous teasing smile. The blonde rolled her eyes once more before suggesting they enjoy the sun that was just perking out from behind the clouds to go outside.

The sun actually went missing on the afternoon and the girls came back at the hotel soaked but happy to have seen so many things. The good thing with rainy days was that most people were discouraged to go outside; each of their visits was thus much quieter. It was 5.10pm when they entered her room and Quinn immediately went to the bathroom without saying a word.

"Well I guess that settles who gets to change first" Olivia said out-loud, directing her words to the bathroom door.

"Sorry!" came the shout from the other side of the door.

20 minutes later the door re-opened and a cloud of steam escaped from the stuffy bathroom. A bunch of pleasant scents were trailing Quinn's steps while she went around the room to rummage through her suitcase to find the perfect dress. They had found it a few days ago in a little Parisian shop just like Quinn had hoped she would. While Olivia was showering, Quinn put her dress on and started trying every pair of shoes she had brought. And that was a lot. She didn't want to seem too tall next to Rachel but she knew the little brunette was going to wear heels too. Quinn stopped torturing her feet for a moment to realize that she was freaking out over a pair of shoes and a little height difference. Who cares if she needed to lean a little more to kiss Rachel?

Oh, so okay her brain was fully determined to kiss Rachel again tonight then; at least that was settled.

When Olivia got out, Quinn had decided that a classic pair of black court shoes would do it because her dress was black too and with her blonde hair and red lipstick she looked just like a James Bond girl. The whistle that came out of Olivia's mouth only confirmed it. By 5.50pm they were both dressed and ready to go to _La Bonne Etoile_ which, fortunately, was 5 minutes away from their hotel. When they entered the café-théâtre, the Parisian atmosphere immediately fell upon them and Quinn felt her heart start to pound against her chest, because this was it. She was going to hear Rachel sing; but most importantly she was going to have a dinner with her afterwards and that was her chance to make things right again.


	12. Chapter 12 : A bow and a smile

A/N : again, sorry for the delay and thank you to my beta. There's only one part left, hope you like this one.

_Get it right_. Quinn knew it'd be a hit the moment Rachel had sung it at Regionals. The reason why she wrote it in the first place was long forgotten though and the only thing Rachel could think about as the words came out of her mouth was her life. She had to make it right, give it purpose. There was Broadway and singing of course. She always thought since her early childhood that being a star was her ultimate dream; that it would make her feel complete. But she was right there, singing in a famous artist place in Paris and she knew something was missing. The place was fabulous, just like she had imagined it would be: so very French. Red tablecloths were covering every table and three candles were spreading a light glow on the guests' faces.

Her eyes wandered over the public in the room, lingered on a blonde staring right back at her. Quinn looked both amazed and mesmerized; she didn't hide the smile on her lips when deep brown eyes locked with hers. As it often happened lately when they were staring at each other, time seemed to stop and suddenly it was just them. It was Rachel on stage, holding on to her mic like she was holding to a last straw of hope and looking for an escape in the green eyes that were seeing right through her. It was Quinn who could have just sat there forever listening to this voice and getting lost in those eyes. As she kept looking at the brunette on stage, Quinn felt the ashes of her forgotten feelings burst into flames again. That was it; she finally had become one of her character. She was in Paris to pick up the thread of a long lost relationship that could have blown her mind had she not avoided it just for that particular reason. But now she was ready to be blown away; and anyway, it had begun already.

Olivia witnessed her friend falling into oblivion and almost let out a sigh at how cliché this whole moment was. She held it back when she saw Quinn's lips stretch into what she liked to call her cute smile. The smile the blonde wore either when nobody was watching or when she didn't care if anybody was watching. In either case it was sweet and she didn't want to ruin the moment.

Rachel hit the last notes of the song and the room simultaneously burst into applause and made their own private bubble fly into pieces.

The show eventually ended after two Barbra covers and an original song in which Rachel ventured in the jazzy style and showed her ability to use a sensual raspy voice Quinn never knew she had.

"Thank you, you have all been wonderful" Rachel said while bowing.

She exited the stage and made her way through the tables, nodding her head towards acquaintances on her way. To Quinn's surprise, the brunette seemed to be heading towards their table. Olivia watched her from afar and didn't fail to notice the hint of hesitation Rachel tried to dismiss when she approached the table. She subtly nodded her head, inviting the singer to sit with them. Rachel smiled at her in response and turned her attention to the blonde whose staring prevented her from noticing what just happened. The sound of Rachel's voice quickly pulled her out of her reverie:

"Evening, ladies. Did you enjoy the show?"

You could hear the need for validation mixed up with the same tone that said "I know I'm good" she always had since high school. Probably since she started singing actually.

"You were wonderful" Olivia stated when it became obvious that Quinn wasn't ready to stop staring.

Olivia nudged her with her elbow before trying something else

"Wasn't she Q.?"

Quinn's attention finally snapped back to reality and she turned to her friend, then back at Rachel when she said

"Yes, you're amazing Rachel, that was beautiful."

Rachel let a shy smile blossom on her lips while she timidly thanked the blonde. They sat there talking about their day; preparation of the show on one hand and visiting a rainy Paris on the other until it was time to go.

"The reservation is at 7.30pm, we should go."

Quinn was glad that the three of them had some time to talk before the dinner. It made both Rachel and Quinn relax and be more comfortable around each other. Olivia walked out with them and stopped at the hotel after dismissing the apologetic look Quinn gave her with a wave of the hand and an encouraging smile.

The restaurant was as nice as Quinn remembered, both charming and romantic. She tried to forget how cliché this would have seemed from an external point of view. Rachel looked pleasantly surprised at the coziness of this place despite its famous location; there were less tourists than one would have expected. Just like the tables of _La Bonne Etoile_, there was a candle on each one that gave a nice romantic touch to the atmosphere. As soon as they sat at their table, Rachel started talking in fear that silence would take over the mood.

"Thank you for uh…being here."

The moment the words crossed her lips she regretted bringing up such a heavy topic when they hadn't even gone over the menu yet.

"In Paris?" Quinn asked with an inquisitive eyebrow.

Rachel thought about dismissing the question but what the hell, she was done avoiding serious talk with Quinn Fabray.

"Yes" Rachel answered, lowering her eyes. "For coming to see me." She explained.

"Gosh Rachel, I should have done that years ago..." Quinn tilted her head, looking for the brunette's eyes.

Rachel looked up and smiled.

"Well you're here now."

She almost added that it was all that mattered but she was already falling way too fast for her own liking so she tried to take careful steps. Quinn though decided that she was done being careful, that it had brought her nothing good in life; and so she reached over the table to grab Rachel's hand. She didn't hold it too tight, leaving the brunette the choice of pulling it away if she wanted to. When it was clear that she wouldn't, she started rubbing the soft tiny hand with her thumb and marveled at how right it felt. Rachel's smile grew bigger and she felt her heart sink at the expression of fondness that was shining in green-hazel eyes.

They sat there for a moment in a comfortable silence, going over the menu and glancing at each other every now and then. Over the dinner the most random questions were asked from their favorite book to the possession of pets. Quinn showed the brunette a picture of Atticus she had on her phone and explained that her neighbor was taking care of him while she was away. By the time they were eating dessert, Quinn could picture what Rachel's place in NY looked like thanks to her precise description and Rachel knew how strong Quinn liked her coffee.

When they got out of the restaurant Rachel only hesitated a second before slipping her hand into Quinn's who was walking right next to her. The warmth of Quinn's palm against her own made Rachel feel less lonely than she had felt in ages. The world which had always seemed so big to her was now revolving around them, tied by their hands and the shared feeling that things were changing; for good.

They walked toward the Sacré Coeur and admired the lights of Paris spreading at their feet so to speak. The sun had settled down already and Quinn turned her attention to Rachel's features drawn by the light glow of the streetlights. The impression of déjà-vu left as soon as it came because yes she was in the most romantic city with a very beautiful lady once again; but it wasn't Olivia this time. And this time she wasn't the one who leaned in to kiss the girl she was holding hands with. Rachel lifted herself up on her tiptoes to reach for Quinn's lips. The kiss soon went from slow and languid to heated and passionate. Quinn put her hands on the brunette's waist to pull her closer and deepened the kiss. When their tongues brushed against each other Rachel moaned and felt Quinn pressing against her until she hit the guardrail. The blonde's hands slid under her coat and grabbed her waist to lift her up. Next thing she knew, Rachel was sitting on the guardrail, her legs wrapped around Quinn's waist, her mouth leaving a trail of kisses down her neck. Quinn's perfume was so intoxicating that she barely heard Quinn's needy demand.

"Kiss me again" she pleaded, her voice barely over a whisper.

Rachel obliged right away and went back on sucking on Quinn's lips and tongue. When Quinn's hands started to slid further under the hem of her dress, Rachel broke the kiss and stated what they were both thinking:

"Maybe this isn't the most appropriate place to…"

"Let's go back to the hotel" Quinn interrupted her and quickly kissed her as to make up for it.

The moment the elevator doors were closed, Quinn pinned Rachel to the wall and kissed her senseless. Their lips didn't break apart until the doors opened on their floor. Rachel rummaged through her bag to find her key and let them both in. When she closed the door and landed her eyes back on the blonde in front of her, Quinn didn't miss the flash of hesitation that crossed her face. She took a step toward Rachel and put a strand of hair back behind her ear. She then leaned in and softly kissed her cheek.

"It's gonna be okay" she whispered.

She wasn't going away, she wasn't going to turn her down this time. Rachel answered by cupping her face and kissing her. She wanted Quinn, she needed Quinn against her. Quinn's hands found Rachel's dress zip and started to slowly unzip her without breaking the kiss. When the dress fell on the floor though she took a step back to fully acknowledge what was in front of her; she couldn't help licking her lips in anticipation. Rachel was drop dead gorgeous and Quinn couldn't wait any longer to touch her. She wrapped her arms around the tiny figure and let her hands wonder over the soft skin while her lips were trailing soft kisses on the brunette's shoulder. Rachel shivered at the touch and bit back a moan when warm hands started to palm her breasts.

"Quinn…"she whimpered "…dress…off"

Quinn's dress quickly joined Rachel's on the floor. It was the first time their skin touched and yet the contact seemed familiar already. Rachel's hands were traveling down the perfect body, each fingertip exploring as much skin as she could, raising goose bumps as they went. She shamelessly grabbed the blonde's ass and pressed her body against hers. The kiss grew needier and it wasn't until the back of her knee hit the edge of the bed that Quinn realized Rachel had been pushing into her until she stepped back. They both fell on the bed, Rachel on top and showing her intention of keeping it this way. She straddled Quinn's hips who, consciously or not, started to rub them back and forth against the brunette's thighs. Rachel fell into rhythm with the trusting movement and moaned against Quinn's lips. God that felt good. Quinn's hands gripped Rachel's waist before making their way up her stomach and behind her back to unclasp her bra. The brunette had to break the kiss to let out a fully voiced moan when two thumbs started to rub her hard nipples. Quinn's thighs between her own started to thrust more forcefully and

"Quinn, Quinn baby easy…"

The plea in Rachel's voice could have made the blonde come right then and there had she not slowed down the humping.

"What's wrong?" she asked, locking her dilated pupils with dark brown eyes.

"Nothing I just…I want to make it last"

Rachel answered a little out of breath and Quinn couldn't tell if the blushing on her cheeks came from what she just said or from the contact of her palms on her breasts. In either case she felt the urge to kiss her, so she pressed her hands against her back so their lips would meet again. They picked up a slower pace to let their hands travel down each other's bodies and discover every feature. Quinn's lips went from Rachel's to her neck, trailing soft kisses on their way up to her jaw and her earlobe where they lingered, alternately sucking and licking it. Rachel's fingers tangled into blonde locks of hair and Quinn felt her hips tighten up around her. Quinn used the opportunity to roll them around and ended up on top of a surprised Rachel. She pecked Rachel on the forehead, on the tip of her nose and finally on the lips before making her way down. Rachel's skin was the softest thing and she took her time; kissing every possible part of her body while going down. When her fingers felt the hem of her black underwear, she slowly took it off before lightly opening the brunette's legs. It wasn't the first time that she went down on a girl but the moment her tongue brushed against Rachel's wet clit, Quinn felt like she just discovered a new world altogether. It wasn't as much as the taste of Rachel on her tongue than the moans she was shamelessly letting out while Quinn was kissing her center that almost sent her over the edge. She kept sucking and licking to the rhythm Rachel was giving her by thrusting her hips forward and soon enough she heard Rachel's breath accelerate

"Quinn…" she moaned " …don't…don't stop"

The blonde sucked harder and slowly thrust one finger into Rachel's wetness, making the moans double. Rachel gripped the sheets and titled her head back, looking for air. Her back lifted off of the mattress with every thrust and when she felt a finger enter her right there she fell over the edge, feeling like a star bursting into a million shining lights. Her body slowly relaxed and she exhaustedly grabbed Quinn's hand to lift her up. Quinn smiled sweetly at her, kissing her softly before resting her head in the crook of her neck. She couldn't help but slightly bite the tender skin there when she felt cold fingers slip under her damp underwear and right onto her wet clit.

"I told you I wanted to make it last…" Rachel whispered in her ear with a devilish grin.


	13. Chapter 13 : Ten years later  Epilogue

A/N: This is the last part, thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!

"But mommy said I could watch it until diner!" a high pitched voice protested.

Rachel was looking at her daughter, trying not to soften at these pleading brown eyes that had made her give in one too many times. She then turned back to the kitchen, landing a questioning look on her wife.

"Stop pretending like you're cooking Quinn, is it true?"

Quinn looked up and tried to repress a smile when she saw Rachel with both hands on her hips, eyebrows furrowed.

"You know Rachel, if it wasn't for the TV, we may not be here today arguing about the reasonable amount of time that our daughter should spend watching it."

Megan, who had turned her attention back to the screen, turned around again to look at her other mom.

"What d'you mean mama?"

Quinn left the kitchen counter, placed a soft kiss on Rachel's cheek on her way and sat on the couch next to her 7 year-old daughter. She started braiding her long brown hair out of habit and explained to the curious little girl :

"Mommy and I were friends in high school but unfortunately we lost touch." Saying this Quinn turned to Rachel whose smiling face erased the sad memories. The brunette's face was radiating with joy as she listened to her wife telling the fairytale-like story that reunited them.

"Ten years ago though, I turned on the TV and I saw her sing and it was so magical I decided to write her a letter to meet her again. We met in Paris because she had a show there. I went to see her and once again I couldn't stop marveling at the beauty of her voice. I took her to diner afterwards and we got to know each other a second time. And here we are!"

The doorbell rang right at the end of the story and before Quinn could move, the door opened revealing a smiling Olivia. Rachel went to get her coat and the bottle of wine she had brought.

"Olivia!" Megan greeted enthusiastically. "Do you know how mama and mommy met? I do!"

"We were just telling Megan how Rachel and I met" Quinn told her with a smile.

"Oh, did you tell her about what happened in Paris?" Olivia teasingly asked.

"The most important part yes" Rachel interrupted. "The rest can wait 10 more years" she said winking at her wife.


End file.
